Ever since you met Minjeong at the rooftop, you might or might not have frequented the place just to see a certain ginger-head girl.

 

The night after your first meeting, you may or may not have covered a schedule that was not yours just to see if you could run into Kim Minjeong again, the girl from the marketing firm two floors above your workplace.

 

You remember going up the rooftop at exactly 2:09 AM, the exact same time you went up the rooftop the day before.

 

(You do not want it to seem staged, which is ridiculous because it totally was for your part but Kim Minjeong does not need to know that).

 

And Kim the ginger-head girl was there again, with her coffee and cheese stick in hands, overlooking the view of Seoul skyscrapers and still bustling streets at two in the morning.

 

You remember the tug of your lip upwards upon seeing her, remember your clammy hands that you silently squeezed just to get your wits collected because holy shake pretty girl from two floors above is here again just like I imagined acckk!

 

You remember saying "hi" just like the previous night.

 

Kim Minjeong flinched just like the previous night too.

 

But when she turned around with the same expression on her face, wide eyes and mouth ajar, it was not filled with the same kind of surprise as before.

 

Rather, Kim Minjeong seemed confused, probably even as far as amused at your presence on the same place at the exact same time just like the previous night.

 

But instead of asking you, Kim Minjeong lets you join her company with a friendly smile.

 

For that second night, you happily finished a shift that was not yours but willingly covered, with the thought of a certain ginger head from two floors above.

 

"Girl, you haven't left your booth for more than three hours now," you suddenly hear from the station next to you, your eyes still glued on your computer as your fingers glides across the keyboard with delicate accuracy, "Not even a bathroom break?"

 

It was Aeri, your childhood friend and now, a nosy workmate who apparently finished her own tasks so her big brain thought it would be a good decision to pester you.

 

"I'm doing something important." you answer, not sparing your friend a glance.

 

You heard a shuffle and felt that Aeri took it upon herself to see what you are up to, can see her head stretching out to take a better look at your computer screen.

 

You register a poorly hidden snicker disguised as a cough.

 

"Not a word, Aeri.." you mumble, ever so subtly moved your upper body to cover what was showing on your screen.

 

"I’m sorry but…you've been watching videos on how to knit?" there is a mixture of mirth and amusement in Aeri's question, "That's what got you glued on your seat for three hours?"

 

"Two hours and forty-three minutes," you quip, purses your lips with slight huff, "Three hours is an exaggeration."

 

"That is the same thing," Aeri snickers again, this time leaning back on her chair. "What is it for anyway?"

 

"It's for a who," you answer, the mouse under your right hand clicks unto the next video.

 

It took Aeri a few seconds before speaking again.

 

"How sure are you she would like something you've knitted?" Aeri asks, sounding more curious than judging.

 

Aeri is not the type to judge, you know this. You have known the girl since fourth grade. But ever since Minjeong happened, Aeri never asked about you and Minjeong's...situationship.

 

Not even once.

 

And this is, indeed, an Aeri thing to do. Aeri is bubbly and loud and she likes pestering you at work and at home. But she is also very observant. A very keen one who does not pry when she knows that addressing it is opening a big can of worms that no one is ready to deal with.

 

And Aeri knows what is up (maybe even better than you and Minjeong combined); but she is letting you (and perhaps Minjeong too) figure things out on your own like the adults that you two are.

 

Well, you have long figured out what it is. It is Minjeong’s turn to do so and it seems like she is taking her sweet, sweet time..

 

"I don't know.." you answer in a beat, "I just want to give her something that would make her warm. It's getting colder everyday."

 

"You can just get her something from the store," Aeri comments, "It would save you from watching videos for three hours straight and the effort of knitting itself."

 

"Yes, but it would be much more fulfilling to give something that I’ve worked hard to make than conveniently buy it somewhere," you say, soft and sure, "Besides, I'm planning to knit her name on it. I'm worried they might spell it wrong."

 

“You mean like how they spelled Jimin as Karina?”

 

“Exactly,” you recall that one time you ordered a customized hat online supposedly with your name on it but received something that is not even remotely close to what you expected, “Like who the hell is Karina? Not me.”

 

Aeri breaks into a series of laughter and for the first time in three hours, you avert your eyes away from your computer screen to look at your friend.

 

"Ha...you are so cute, Jimin." Aeri wipes her eyes, her laughter dying down and is replaced with a smile leaking with genuine mirth.

 

You mirror it with a scrunch of your nose, a force of a habit that you cannot stop for the life of you.

 

"I am, right?"

 

Aeri laughs again and reaches out to ruffle your hair. You like it when she does that.

 

"Yes, you are, baby giant."

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

That night, you start knitting.

 

Blue and yellow yarns adorn your living room as your hands work with the knitting pins.

 

You were too immersed in getting an initial craft as soon as you can that the existence of Gungdaeng, your very playful and clingy cat who loves to play yarn like her life depended on it, flew past your head for a moment.

 

Until she made her glorious presence known to you.

 

"Daengi, no." you reprimand once you saw in your peripheral view how your fat orange cat's attention was suddenly at the ball of blue yarn that connects to the one you are knitting.

 

Daengi looks up at you upon hearing your voice and you turn your attention to her, feeling your resolve crumble down at the sight of your fluffy cat's round eyes boring holes in your soul.

 

"Meow~"

 

You shake your head.

 

"It's for Minjeong, Daengi," you say, as if that is a reason enough for the cat to stop, "I'll buy one specifically for you next time, hmm?"

 

Dengi stares at you more and you stare in response, not backing down.

 

Then Daengi's tiny paw nudged the yarn while she maintains eye contact with you. Brave and bold and brave.

 

You feel your jaw slackening in disbelief.

 

Did your cat just—

 

As if to emphasize her supremacy, Daengi nudges the yarn again, this time a little bit more forceful than her tiny paw could muster.

 

"Daengi.."

 

But Daengi is a spoiled cat that you spoiled so much so of course she did not (or chose not to) hear your subtle plea.

 

In a beat, the yarn starts rolling away from your side as mighty and stubborn Daengi paws it away.

 

"Daengi!"

 

Sensing that her newly found toy is on the verge of being taken away, Daengi nudges even more, giving all her might to get the yarn away from you as far as possible.

 

"Yoo Gungdaeng."

 

You rarely use your cat's government name on her. It reminds you of your mother whenever she would reprimand you about something you have done wrong as a kid and you have never done anything wrong as a kid.

 

(Lies. You were such a menace, your mom would always say.)

 

But whenever it is warranted, your cat’s government name would slip out of your mouth and for some reason, Gungdaeng would always stop her dumb acts and start rubbing her face at your ankle as if to apologize.

 

You think it works because, "Meow.." Daengi pauses, stares her round, black eyes at you for a good measure, "Meowwww~"

 

Aha!

 

You took this fleeting stand off as a chance to grab the yarn as fast as you can.

 

Unfortunately for you, you are not as fast as your fat cat.

 

Just in time when your hand reaches out for the yarn, Gungdaeng stretches out her paw to push it away,  causing for your wonderful paw friend to scratch you and leave a glaring (and bleeding) four claw mark across your right knuckles.

 

The government name did not work!

 

“Acckk! Gungdaeng!!”

 

Great. Now you got a painfully looking scratch and the triumphant Gungdaeng dragging your beloved yarn with her.

 

Life is so amazing.

 

"Yah! Was that really necessary?" you screech, eying the fresh cut courtesy of the spoiled feline and squinting your eyes at Gungdaeng who was rolling down your carpet with the yarn between her paws. "You just hurt your mother who raised you and fed you and cared for you and loved you with all her heart... how can you do this to me?"

 

Gungdaeng does not even as much spare you a glance.

 

You scoff at the audacity.

 

In the middle of lamenting over your life decision to raise a cat, your phone, that was sitting pretty on your big couch, suddenly lights up, momentarily distracting you from the betrayal of the century and the minor sting across your knuckles due to the paw scratch.

 

Oh.

 

It's Minjeong..

 

"Hello."

 

You curse at yourself for the funny feeling that swarmed your stomach upon hearing Minjeong's voice over the line.

 

"Hello to you, too."

 

There was a fleeting pause.

 

"I'm outside," Minjeong says after a beat, "Is there a chance you can come out for a bit?"

 

You are scurrying out of your door before Minjeong could even finish her second sentence.

 

Ginger-head Minjeong wearing her black flannel and white sneakers stands timid on the pavement in front of your gate.

 

"You're here."

 

You did not mean to say that out loud.

 

But you guess it is alright because Minjeong's face breaks into a small grin upon hearing the obvious.

 

"I am," Minjeong says, "I am here."

 

You suddenly feel conscious wearing your oversized Crayon Shin Chan shirt and Kuromi shorts.

 

"What brings you here?"

 

"My feet."

 

Minjeong clearly looks satisfied at her answer, if the smug look on her face was any indication.

 

The squint of your eyes earned a cute giggle from the girl on flannel, "No, really. It's almost midnight Minjeong."

 

"I know." She says, as a matter of fact.

 

"Then why are you here?"

 

Minjeong shrugs, eyes void of emotions as usual.

 

"Just because."

 

It was not the answer you wanted to hear. But then again, you never really heard Minjeong say the things you wanted to hear.

 

You let out a small sigh.

 

"Did you come straight from work?"

 

Minjeong's head bobbed ever so lightly that you almost missed it.

 

But then again, you never really missed a single thing about Minjeong since day one.

 

How Minjeong is not really a woman of words in general.

 

How Minjeong is shy around most people but she is actually talkative around those she is the most comfortable with.

 

(You like to think you are one of those people because Minjeong is kind of talkative whenever you are together).

 

Or how Minjeong does not really talk much but her body language speaks a lot.

 

Just like right now.

 

She may not say it; but you being you, being the person who knows Minjeong more than the world who sees her as this emotionless girl who cannot properly express herself through conventional means, know that she wants a company.

 

Your company.

 

And you being you, will never say no to a chance of spending time with her.

 

(Even though you know that by doing that, you are digging your grave deeper and deeper and deeper..)

 

"I'll just get my coat," you finally say, nodding your head to the parked scooter beside your blue gate, "And my helmets too. Do you still prefer the yellow one?"

 

You saw the way how Minjeong's eyes light up at your question.

 

"Yes."

 

You cannot stop the small quirk of your lips upon seeing her reaction before walking inside again. Minjeong is too adorable for her own liking.

 

Opening your door, you made a quick grab of your coat hanging on the wall near the entrance, keys and the blue and yellow helmets idly placed adjacent the shoe rack.

 

"Watch the house, Daengi." You tell your cat as you slip through your coat, giving a stern stare when you saw that the orange cat is still playing with the yarn, "Don't ruin what I started Daengi, I'm warning you."

 

Gungdaeng simply looks at you with her round, brown eyes.

 

When you step out of the gate, Minjeong is beside the already standing scooter, eyeing the two-wheels with her puppy eyes that crumples something within you.

 

You reach out for Minjeong and carefully placed the yellow-colored helmet on her head that you almost cooed at the sight of her cheeks squished between the insides of the round object.

 

"What is that?"

 

Your eyes followed the direction of Minjeong's index finger pointing down at your right hand.

 

It was the mark of betrayal from your beloved cat.

 

"Ah, this.." you chuckle, shaking your head at the memory of your cat and your stupid yarn battle with her. "Daengi scratched me a while ago."

 

Minjeong's once void eyes are suddenly filled with various kinds of emotion, an amalgamation of surprise, amusement and worry swirls through her beautiful eyes that earned a manic beating of your heart.

 

"It looks like it hurts," she quips, taking a closer look at your knuckles when she takes a gentle hold of your hand.

 

Minjeong.

 

Minjeong.

 

Minjeong..

 

"Does it hurt?" Minjeong asks above a whisper; a stark contrast to the loud beating of the muscle inside your ribcage.

 

Your eyes met when Minjeong looks up and you almost forgot how to breathe properly.

 

"It stings." was your answer, tiny and raspy and real, "It stings a lot."

 

"Can I make it better?"

 

You swallow a lump in your throat, ringing in your ears because of the things that you are hearing coming out of Minjeong’s mouth.

 

"You always make things better, Minjeong-ah," you decide to be honest, like you always did.

 

"I do?"

 

"Hmm."

 

Minjeong stares and stares and stares you were starting to drown in a sea of brown swirls and lavender filled scent.

 

Then you feel a soft, full lips against your knuckles, grazing through the four claw betrayal marks with baby-like pecks.

 

Careful.

 

Innocent.

 

Minjeong-like.

 

Tears brimmed your eyes but you fight the urge to cry, wills yourself to swallow them and stay in the present.

 

This is what matters.

 

This Minjeong right here.

 

This fleeting moment might pass and you would jolt awake to your numb reality in a few minutes from now but whatever.

 

This is where you want to be.

 

You are so certain.

 

Minjeong is where you want to be.

 

Regardless of the constant confusion and questions in your mind, Minjeong right here is all that matters to you.

 

Right here.